Tamil Nadu leaders clash over proposed delimitation exercise

Political leaders in Tamil Nadu are divided over the proposed delimitation exercise, which involves redrawing constituency boundaries and potentially increasing the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats.

PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss supports the delimitation, arguing it is essential for increasing the number of constituencies and boosting women's representation in governance. He criticized the Congress party for changing its stance on the issue, questioning why they oppose the move based on population ratios.

Conversely, TNCC President Manickam Tagore has criticized Ramadoss, accusing him of supporting the BJP-led Centre's proposal at the expense of Tamil Nadu's political representation. Tagore argued that delimitation could punish the state for successful population control and weaken its voice in Delhi. He further questioned the necessity of increasing seats for women's representation, suggesting that a 33% reservation could be implemented within the existing 543 constituencies.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly has previously passed a resolution urging the Union Government to retain the current number of Lok Sabha members at 543 and maintain existing inter-state seat allocations.